Gas or liquid storage device



y 1933- J. H. WlGGlNS GAS 0R LIQUID STORAGE DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. J/vf W/q q uvs ATTORNEYS.

July 11, 1933. WIGGINS 1,917,622

GAS 0R LIQUID STORAGE DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 27. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (an 'III4'IIIIIIIII4 IN VEN TOR. JH w/qq/Ns.

H TTORNEYJ Patented July 11, 1933 UNITED STATES JOHN H. WIGGINS, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA GAS OR LIQUID STORAGE DEVICE Application filed February 27, 1928, Serial No. 257,234. Renewed April 16, 1981.

This invention relates to devices of the kind that are used for storing gases and volatile liquids, and particularly, storage devices of the type that are provided with a gas space or Vapor space which comprises a flexible wall or portion that is capable of flexing upwardly and downwardly a limited distance relatively to an intermediate horizontal plane, so as to increase and decrease the volume of the gas or vapor space, as described in my U. S Patent No. 1,645,313, dated October 11, 1927.

One object of my present invention is to provide an inexpensive storage device of novel design, embodying the invention de scribed in my said United States patent, which takes up a relatively small ground space.

Another object is to provide a storage de- 2 vice for gases and volatile liquids, that is equipped with a novel means for producing a gas-tight joint either between the flexible wall of the gas space and the part to which said wall is connected, or between adjacent sections or portions of said flexible wall, said means comprising flexible or pliable material that acts as a closure for the joint, and devices which effectively prevent said flexible or pliable material from being subjected to dangerous or destructive tensile strains when the flexible wall of the gas space is functioning.

Another object is to provide a novel means for draining or carrying away rain water or the like that falls upon a gas or liquid storage device of the kind whose roof is formed by a flexible member that is capable of moving upwardly and downwardly a limited distance to vary the volume of the vapor space of the device.

Another object of my invention is to reduce the cost of storage devices of the general type mentioned, by constructing the device in such a manner that the ground on which the device is erected is used to form the lower portion of a space or chamber that confines the medium being stored.

Another object is to provide a commerclally practicable storage device whose receiving space or chamber is formed by a flexible metal diaphragm that is capable of assuming an inwardly flexed condition when the device is empty and an outwardly flexed condition when the device is full, and an opposed portion that serves as a supporting means for substantially the entire area of said diaphragm when said diaphragm is in its extreme inwardly flexed condition.

And still another object is to provide a device of the general character referred to, having a metal storage chamber or receiving chamber of such design that it is impossible for the walls of same to be collapsed or disrupted by an abnormally high vacuum created in said chamber.

Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in a gas holder, but I wish it to be understood that many of the features of my invention are applicable to tanks of the kind that are used for storing volatile liquids.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a vertical transverse sectional view of a gas holder constructed in accordance with my invention, taken on the line 11 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of said gas holder.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view, illustrating the means that is used to produce 30 a gas-tight circumferential expansion joint at the peripheral edge of the flexible wall of one of the gas chambers, said view' being taken on the line 33 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view 95 of the structure shown in Figure 3.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are detail sectional views of the means that is used to produce either a radial expansion joint, or a circumferential expansion joint in the intermediate portion of the flexible wall of a gas chamber, showing how said joint acts or functions when said flexible wall moves upwardly and downwardly to vary the volume of the gas chamber and Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view, illustrating a flexible wall provided with circumferential expansion joints.

I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in a gas holder composed of a supporting structure and a plurality of gas chambers carried by said supporting structure and arranged in superimposed relation, but I wish it to be understood that my invention is applicable todevices that are used for holding or storing volatile liquids, and moreover, contemplates a device provided either with a single storage space or a plurality of storage spaces. Furthermore, while I have herein illustrated the flexible or movable portion of the storage space or chamber as being formed by a metal diaphragm that constitutes the'top wall of said chamber, it is not essential that the storage chamber be constructed in this particular manner, as the essential thing, so far as my broad idea is concerned, is that the storage chamber be provided with two opposed portions, one of which portions is formed of metal and is capable of flexing in such a way as to increase and decrease the volume of said chamber, and the other portion being of suchshape and arrangement that it will adequately support said flexible portion and prevent the same from being subj ected to destructive strains when said flexible portion is in its inwardly flexed condition.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a supporting structure, herein illustrated as consisting of a cylindrical shell, that carries a plurality of horizontally-disposed, flexible diaphragms A that form the top walls of a plurality of superimposed gas chambers or spaces as, y and z, the bottom walls of the chambers m and 1 being formed by substantially concave-shaped, rigid members 2 connected at their peripheral edges by gas-tight joints to inwardly-projecting flanges 3 on the inner side of the shell 1. A similar concaved rigid member can be used to form the bottom of the gas chamber 2, or the bottom of said chamber 2 can be formed by a concaved depression 2 of any desired depth in the ground 4 on which the shell 1 is erected, a considerable saving in the cost of the structure being effected by utilizing the ground instead of a metallic member to form the bottom of the chamber a.

The flexible diaphragms A that constitute the topwalls of the gas chambers are formed principally from metal plates connected together by gas-tight joints and mounted on the shell or supporting structure 1 in such a way that they are capable of flexing upwardly and downwardly a limited distance from an intermediate horizontal plane without producing destructive strains in said diaphragms. Said diaphragms A are capable of assuming either an inwardly flexed condition, as shown in full lines in Figure 1, or an outwardly flexed condition, as shown in broken lines in said figure. When said diaphragms are in their extreme inwardly flexed condition, the gas chambers of which said diaphragms form the top Walls, will be of practically zero volume, due, of course, to the fact that the top wall or portion of each of said chambers is of substantially concave shape and lies in contact or approximate contact with the lower portion of the chamber which is also of substantially concave form. When gases are admitted to one of said chambers, or when the internal pressure of the chamber increases from any cause, the top wall or portion A of the chamber will flex upwardly, more or less, according to the pressure of the gases in the chamber, thus causing the shape of the chamber to alter in such a way as to change it from a gas receiving space of practically zero volume to a gas receiving space of relatively great volume. Hence, a gas holder provided with a gas chamber of the construction above described has the following features or characteristics which make it very desirable from a commercial standpoint:First, it has no dead gas space when the holder is empty; second, the volume of the gas chamber increases and decreases automatically during the admission and withdrawal of gases, due to a change in the shape of the chamber produced by the flexing of a wall or portion of said chamber; third, the flexible metallic top wall or portion of the gas chamber is supported throughout approximately its entire area when in its extreme inwardly flexed condition, by the opposed lower portion of the chamber, thereby overcoming the necessity of providing a separate supporting means for the flexible wall, and eliminating the possibility of the gas chamber being collapsed or disrupted by an abnormally high vacuum in said chamber; and fourth, the gas chamber is constructed of metal, and hence, will successfully withstand a relatively high internal pressure and will not be injuriously affected by atmospheric conditions.

A gas holder of the particular construction herein illustrated can be erected at a low cost, and will take up relatively little ground space, due to the fact that it is composed simply of a cylindrical shell 1 erected on the ground, aplurality of horizontallydisposed partitions arranged inside of said shell in superimposed relation and having their peripheral edges attached to the shell in such a way that they are suspended from the shell, and flexible diaphragms that cooperate with said partitions to form gas chambers whose volumes are capable of changing without subjecting the structure to injurious strains. I

Means is provided for automatically venting the gas chambers of the device when a predetermined maximum volume is reached inside of said chambers, thereby preventing the top walls of said chambers from being subjected to bursting strains. Various kinds of venting mechanisms may be used, but I prefer to mount avolume control pressure relief valve 5 on each of the diaphragms A in such a manner that the relief valve associated with each gas chamber will open automatically, and thus vent the chamber when the diaphragm A on which the valve is mounted moves upwardly a. certain approximate distance relatively to the stationary bottom wall of the chamber of which the diaphragm forms a part. One type of volume control relief valve that is particularly adapted for this purpose is the relief valve described in my pending application Serial No. 188,386, filed May 2, 1927, which comprises a valve element 5 connected to a lever 6 that is pivotally mounted on the underside of the diaphragm and which is attached to a chain or cable 7 that causes the lever 6 to rock in a direction to open the valve element 5 when the diaphragm A reaches a certain approximate position during its upward movement.

Gas is admitted to the chambers w, y and 2 of the device by a gas supply pipe 8 arranged vertically at one side of the shell 1, and provided with laterally-projecting branches 8 8 and 8 that lead to the respective gas chambers m, y and .2, said pipe and branches being equipped with suitable valves 9 that can be manipulated so as to control the admission of the gas to said chambers. Said pipe and branches can also be used to conduct the gases out of the gas chambers m, y and z. The inlet and outlet pipes can" either be connected to the gas chambers in such a way that the gas chambers can be 111- dependently filled or emptied, or all of the gas chambers can be connected together in such a way that they co-operate with each other to form a single unit or gas storage space.

It is not necessary that the portion of the shell 1 located above the point where the top wall A of the gas chamber 2 is connected to the shell be gas-tight, due to the fact that each of the gas chambers m and y is formed by two imperforate gas-tight members whose peripheral portions are practically joined together by gas-tight joints. If, however, the ground is used to form the bottom of the gas chamber a, as herein shown, it is necessary that the lower portion of the shell 1 be gastight and that some means be provided for preventing the gases in the chamber a from escaping to the atmosphere under the lower edge of the shell 1. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the lower edge portion of the shell 1 projects downwardly into the ground a considerable distance so as to insure practically an impervious bottom for the chamber 2, and a liquid seal is provided so as to prevent the gases from escaping from the chamber a under the bottom edge of the shell 1. A liquid seal is not absolutely essential, for the same result could be obtained by driving interlocking piling into the ground in proximity to the lower edge portion of the shell 1 that is imbedded in the ground. As shown clearly in Figure 1, the lower edge of the shell 1 is imbedded in a concrete footing 10 located at the bottom of a trough 11 in the ground that is filled with water or any viscous liquid that will form a satisfactory liquid seal for the gas chamber 2-, the sealing liquid being delivered to the trough 11 by a pipe 12 which is connected with a pump 13 operated by any suitable source of power designated by the reference character 14. A controlling valve 15 is arranged in the pipe 12 between the pump 13 and the discharge end of said pipe.

Any suitable drainage means can be used to carry away rain water or the like that falls on the diaphragm A of the chamber ac which constitutes the roof of the apparatus, but I have herein illustrated said diaphragm provided with a depending drain pipe 16 whose lower end is positioned in a body of sealing liquid in a cup 17 attached to the lower end of said drain pipe. When the top wall A of the gas chamber w is in its extreme downwardly-flexed position, the drain pipe 16 and the cup thereon are positioned in a well 18 carried by the bottom 2 of the chamber 00. Said well 18 is provided with a discharge pipe 19 that extends laterally through the shell 1 and which is provided with a bent portion that constitutes a U-shaped seal 20 whose legs are filled with a sealing liquid. When the chamber w contains gases, said gases are prevented from escaping through the drain pipe 16 by the liquid sealing substance in the cup 17 attached to the lower end of the drain pipe 16. The gases are also prevented from escaping from the chamber :0 through the discharge pipe 19 which leads from the well 18 by the U-shaped sealing device 20 on said discharge pipe 19. Any rain water or the'like that falls on the top wall of the chamber 02 when said top wall is in its horizontal or downwardly deflected position, will run to the drain pipe 16 and escape through same into the cup 17 from which it overflows and drops down into the well 18, finally escaping from said well through the discharge pipe 19. Any water that seeps into the bottom gas chamber .2 is conducted out of said chamber by a drain pipe 21 that leads from the low point of the bottom of said chamber to the pump 13 previously described. By closing the valve 15 in the pipe 12 and opening a valve 15 in said pipe which controls an outlet leading to a spill-way, the pump 13 can be used in conjunction with the drain pipe21 to remove any water that seeps into the bottom gas chamber 2. If desired, air vents 22 can be arranged in the shell 1 so as to vent the portions of said shell lying between the points where the flexible diaphragms A constituting the top walls of the gas chambers are attached to said shell.

Each of the flexible diaphrams A is connected at its peripheraledge to the shell 1 by a gas-tight joint of novel construction that comprises flexible or pliable gas-tight material 23, and a means which effectively prevents said material 23 from being subjected to injurious or destructive tensile strains, in the event the diaphragm is subjected to a pressure or force that tends to move it beyond its normal limit of movement either upwardly or downwardly. 'As shown in Figure 3, each of the diaphragms A has an annular-shaped piece 23 of gas-tight fabric or pliable metal like lead attached to the peripheral edge of same by a gas-tight joint, the means herein illustrated for attaching the flexible or pliable member 23 to the diaphragm consisting of a clamping bar 24 bearing upon the inner edge of the member 23 and secured to the diaphragm by means of bolts or other suitable fastening devices 25. The outer edge of the flexible or pliable member 23 is attached in a similar way to the horizontal flange of the angle 3 on the shell 1, thus forming a gas-tight joint between the shell and the outer edge of the flexible or pliable member 23, and a gas-tight joint between the inner edge of said member and the diaphragm A. Located at intervals around the peripheral edge of the diaphragm A are rigid eyes or loops 26 that are interlocked with rigid eyes or loops 27 attached to the horizontal portion of the flange 3 located below the flexible or pliable number 23. The co-operating loops or eyes 26 and 27 are so proportioned and arranged with relation to each other that the eyes 26 will slide freely in the eyes 27 when the diaphragm A flexes upwardly and downwardly and will effectively take up all strains to which the diaphragm is subjected by forces or pressures tending to move it beyond its extreme upwardly or downwardly flexed positions. Consequently, the flexible or pliable material 23 that is reged upon to produce and maintain a gas-tight joint between the diaphragm and the shell 1 will never be subjected to injurious tensile strains or strains tending to tear said material away from the parts of the structure to which it is clamped.

In instances where the diameter of the structure is so small that the metal plates used in the construction of the flexible diaphragms A will not wrinkle sufficiently to provide for the change in the radii and circumference produced by the upward and downward movement of said diaphragms, and in instances where a considerable variation in the volume of the gas chambers is desired, the flexible diaphragm that constitutes the top wall of each gas chamber can be provided with one or more radial expansion joints, as shown in Figure 2, or it can be provided with one or more circumferential expansion joints, as shown in Figure 8, or if desired, thediaphragms can be provided with both circumferential expansion joints and radial expansion joints. Said expansion joints are of the same general type or character as the joints used between the peripheral edges of the diaphragms and the shell 1, in that they comprise flexible or pliable material 23 and a means for preventing said flexible or pliable material from being subjected to injurious or destructive tensile strains. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5, each radial expansion joint of the diaphragm A comprises a strip 23 of pliable metal or gas-tight fabric attached to adjacent sections of the diaphragm by clamping bars 24 and connecting devices 25, so as to bridge the gap or joint between said adjacent sec tions. In order to prevent said strip 23 from being subjected to injurious or destructive tensile strains after the diaphragm has reached either its extreme upwardly flexed position, as shown in Figure 5, or its extreme downwardly flexed position, as shown in Figure 7, opposed brackets 26 are attached to the adjacent sections of the diaphragm and bolts 27 provided at their outer ends with nuts 27", are arranged transversely of said brackets, .so as to co-operate with said brackets to limit the relative movement of the adjacent sections of the diaphragm, and thus prevent the strip 23 from being subjected to strains, as previously described, said bolts being mounted in said brackets in such a way that the brackets can slide freely on the bolts when the adjacent sections of the diaphragm approach each other, as shown in Figure 6. When the diaphragm is provided with circumferential expansion joints, as shown in Figure 8, each of said joints will comprise parts of the kind and arrangement illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7. The means above described for producing a gastight joint at the peripheral edge of the diaphragm or in an intermediate portion of the diaphragm, is, of course, applicable to liquid storage tanks whose top is formed by a flexible member that is capable of moving upwardly and downwardly a limited degree relatively to an intermediate horizontal plane, so as to vary the volume of .the gas or vapor space of the tank.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim a new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the kind referred to comprising an upright, cylindrical shell, and a plurality of devices sustained by and arranged inside of said shell iii-superimposed relation and each provided with'a concaved stationary wall and a movable metallic wall that is capable ofi assuming either substantially the same shape as said stationary wall or a reverse shape.

2. A device of the kind referred to comprising a cylindrical shell, a stationary diaphragm arranged transversely of said shell and suspended from the side wall of same so as to form the bottom of a gas chamber, and a flexible diaphragm arranged above said stationary diaphragm and adapted to co-operate with same to form a storage space whose volume will vary according to the position which said top diaphragm assumes due to the upward pressure exerted on same by gas in said storage space, said diaphragms being arranged in such relationship that the stationary diaphragm serves as a support for the flexible'diaphragm under certain conditions.

3. An apparatus of the kind referred to, comprising a cylindrical shell erected on the ground, and a plurality of superimposed devices in said shell that constitute storage chambers and each of which comprises a flexible top wall that is capable of assuming various shapes and positions so as to vary the volume of the storage chamber, the device at the lower end of the shell having a bottom formed by the ground on which the shell is erected.

4:. An apparatus of the kind referred to, comprising a cylindrical shell erected on the ground, a plurality of superimposed devices in said shell that constitute storage chambers and each of which comprises a flexible top wall that is capable of assuming various shapes and positions so as to vary the volume of the chamber, the device at the lower end of the shell having a bottom formed by the ground on which the shell is erected, and means for preventing the stored medium in the lowermost chamber from escaping from same under the bottom edge of the shell.

5. An apparatus of the kind referred to, comprising a cylindrical shell erected on the ground, a plurality of superimposed devices in said shell that constitute storage chambers .and each of which com rises a flexible top 'wall that is capable 0 assuming various shapes and positions so as to vary the volume of the chamber, the device at the lower end of the shell having a bottom formed by the ground on which the shell is erected, and a iquid seal for the bottom edge of the shell that prevents the stored medium from escaping from the lowermost chamber.

6. A gas or liquid storage device provided with a flexible member that forms one wall of a storage space and which is adapted to flex in a direction to vary the volume of said space, an expansion joint that facilitates the movement of said member, comprising a flexible or pliable gas-tight element arranged so as to bridge the gap of the joint, and means extending transversely of the gap and attached to the parts of the structure at opposite sides of said gap, for preventing said element from being subjected to strains tendspace, an expansion joint that facilitates the movement of said member comprising a flexible or pliable gas-tight element secured to relatively movable parts located at opposite sides of the gap of the joint and co-operating devices attached to said parts and arranged so as to span said gap, for taking up or absorbing strains exerted on said gastight element when said flexible member is functioning.

8. A gas or liquid storage device, comprising a shell, a flexible diaphragm that forms one wall of a gas or vapor space of variable volume, an expansion joint at the peripheral edge of said diaphragm provided with a flexible or pliable gas-tight element that bridges the gap of the joint and is attached to the shell and to said diaphragm, and means attached to said shell and diaphragm and exextending transversely of said joint for preventing said element from being subjected to strains tending to destroy or disrupt it when said diaphragm is in either of its extremely flexed positions.

9. In a gas or liquid storage device of the kind that comprises a gas or vapor space having a wall formed by a flexible diaphragm that is capable of flexing upwardly and downwardly a limited distance relatively to an intermediate horizonteal plane, an expansion joint in the intermediate portion of said diaphragm provided with a flexible or pliable gastight element secured to relatively movable parts of the diaphragm and arranged to cover or bridge a gap between said parts, and means attached to the parts of the opposite sides of said gap and extending transversely of the gap for preventing said element from being subjected to strains tending to disrupt or destroy it when said diaphragm is functioning.

10. A gas or liquid storage device, compris ing a shell, a diaphragm that forms one wall of a gas or vapor space and which is capable of flexing upwardly and downwardly a. limited distance relatively to an intermediate horizontal plane, expansion joints at the peripheral edge and in an intermediate portion of said diaphragm, comprising flexible or pliable gas-tight elements arranged so as to cover or bridge gaps in the structure, and means attached to the parts of the structure located at opposite sides of the gaps in the structure and extending transversely of said gaps for preventing said elements from being subjected to strains tending to disrupt or destroy them when the diaphragm is in its extremely flexed positions.

11. A device of the kind referred to provided with a storage chamber that comprises a substantially concave-shaped lower Wall portion, a top wall portion formed by a flexible metallic diaphragm that conforms substantially to the shape of said lower wall portion and rests upon the same when the chamber is empty, said top Wall portion being adapted to flex outwardly more or less due to the pressure exerted on same by the medium in the storage chamber, and means for venting said chamber when said flexible top portion moves outwardly a certain distance relatively to said lower portion.

12. A device of the kind referred to, having a storage space or chamber provided with a substantially concave-shaped bottom, and a top for said chamber formed by a flexible metallic diaphragm that is adapted to be flexed outwardly by the upward pressure exerted on same by the medium in said chamber, and adapted to flex inwardly, due to gravity or to a diminution in the upward pressure exerted on same, said top being arranged in such relationship with the bottom of the chamber and said bottom being of such shape, that said top will be supported throughout substantially its entire area by said bottom when the chamber is empty.

13. A device of the kind referred to, provided with a storage space or chamber having a side Wall portion formed by a shell erected on the ground, a bottom for said chamber formed by a substantiall concaveshaped recess or depression in t e ground surrounded by said shell, and a top 'for said chamber formed by a flexible metallic diaphragm that is adapted to flex outwardly, due to the upward pressure exerted on same by the medium in said chamber and adapted to flex inwardly, due to gravity or to a diminution in the upward pressure exerted on same.

14. A device of the kind referred to, provided with a storage space or chamber having a side wall portion formed by a shell erected on the ground, a bottom for said chamber formed bya substantially concaveshaped recess or depression in theground surrounded by said shell, a top for said chamber formed by a flexible metallic diaphragm that is adapted to flex outwardly, due to the upward pressure exerted on same by the medium in said chamber and adapted to flex inwardly, due to gravity or to a diminution in the upward pressure exerted on same, and means for preventing the medium confined in said chamber from escaping under the bottom edge of said shell.

JOHN H. WIGGINS. 

